Epic Sitch: A Very Stoppable Holiday
by MrDrP
Summary: When Kim's granddaughter Ann tries to save the day, who will save her? An Epic Sitch story, just in time for the holidays. COMPLETE
1. Part One

Special thanks to Molloy, special guest proofreader extraordinaire.

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**PART ONE**

_July 22, 2063_

Kim looked at her bedside clock and saw that it was 2:15 in the morning. Then she rolled over and saw that Ron's side of the bed was empty. She hoped he was simply having trouble sleeping, that he'd gone to the study and was playing with his stamps. But then she heard the retching. The sound was faint, but it was unmistakable.

She sat up, quickly climbed out of the bed, and grabbed her robe and glasses. She looked into their bathroom, which was empty, then headed to the guest room with its adjacent convenience. There she found Ron, hunched over the toilet, in the throes of being sick.

Kim dropped to her knees and gently rested her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Honey," she said comfortingly, "I'm here."

Ron continued to be sick. When he was done, he gasped for air. "Water," he croaked.

Kim rose and got him a glass of water, which she watched him quickly down. "It's getting worse, isn't it?" she said.

"Yeah, crummy tummy, head exploding," Ron answered weakly. "Sorry to wake you up."

"That's so not an issue," she said, returning to her knees, and giving him a buss on the cheek.

Silence filled the room. Finally, Ron spoke. "I'm scared, KP," he confessed as he rubbed his temples. "It's never felt this bad."

She embraced him fiercely, knowing she, too, was scared, more scared than she'd ever been in her life, which wasn't surprising, given the diagnosis they'd received just a few days earlier; Dr. Kim Stoppable knew her husband of more than five decades and lifelong best friend was dying and there was nothing she, or anyone else, could do to save him.

_September 28_

Kim sat in a chair by Ron's bedside. "So, what do you want to watch, _Space Passage_ or _Captain Constellation_?" she asked.

"Neither," he said. "Just want to sit here and look at my babelicous wife."

Kim snorted. "I'm old and gray."

"I'm all about your gray hair," Ron said. "It makes you look hot."

"And what about the glasses?" Kim asked; she'd resigned herself to wearing them when it became apparent that surgery wouldn't solve the thankfully manageable vision problems that had emerged in recent years as a result of being exposed to lasers when she was a teenager.

"Those make you look smart," he answered.

"So you're saying I'm smart and hot?"

"Hey, the Ronman just calls them like he sees them," Ron said as he waggled his eyebrows.

"Nice call, Captain Romance," she said approvingly. "I think I'll keep you around."

"The Rondo may be sick, but he stills comes to play," he said with satisfaction.

Kim smiled. "Spankin'," she said using a bit of slang she hadn't used in many a year before she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Ron offered a lopsided grin. "Badical," he said before his jaunty expression turned into something more serious.

"What is it?" Kim asked.

"You've got to make me a promise, KP," Ron said. "After I check out, you have to live for both of us."

"Ron, don't talk—"

"Kim," he interrupted as reached up to brush her cheek with his hand. "It's going to happen. Soon. You know it, I know it. I just wish the cancer hadn't hit my brain. It's not like I had a lot up there to start with."

"Stop that," she said. "No dissing my BFH. Besides, I like what you've got up there," she added as she ran her fingers through the wisps of hair atop his head.

"Thanks," Ron said before he was seized by pain and winced.

Kim, despite her efforts to be strong for her husband, began to tear up. "This shouldn't be happening to you. It's not fair. If anyone should be dealing with this, it should be me." She knew that had Ron not accompanied her on her world saving adventures in years gone by, he would never have been exposed to the death rays and genetic scramblers that were now wreaking havoc on his body and brain.

"KP," Ron said reassuringly, knowing that his wife had been fighting powerful feelings of guilt ever since his illness had been first diagnosed. "I can't tell you how happy I'm it's not. If it had been you, I'd have failed in my duties as sidekick."

"You are not my sidekick," she said sternly. "You're my partner."

"Hey, sidekick's a noble profession," Ron replied with mock indignation. "Being yours was the best thing I ever did."

Kim looked fondly at her husband and gently caressed his face. "I'm going to miss you so much," she said softly.

"Yeah," Ron agreed as he reached up and touched her hand. "Me too."

"I can't even imagine being without you," she admitted.

"You'll be okay," Ron said as he squeezed her hand. "You're Kim Possible –"

"That's Stoppable, mister," she corrected him.

"You know what I mean," he said with a grin. "But whatever you're called, you can do anything."

"Even get by without my Ronshine?" she asked, dabbing at her eyes.

"Admittedly, that could be hard, even for a bon-diggity hero like you," Ron said, trying to sound lighthearted. "I know I'll miss those five alarm KP kisses. But I promise I'll save you a seat at the great Bueno Nacho in the sky. But only on one condition."

"Let me guess: that promise you just asked me to make."

"Yeah," Ron said, smiling. "Do the things we never did. See the places we never saw. You know, like the places in the Caribbean without lairs. I'm pretty sure there have to be some."

Kim took a deep breath. "Okay," she said. "Promise."

"Maybe you ought to seal that with a kiss," Ron suggested.

"Good thinking," she said as she leaned in and brought her lips to his.

Two weeks later, his family gathered around him, Ron Stoppable died at the age of 74.

_October 13_

Rabbi Ann Stoppable looked to her father Jon and nodded. The middle-aged man left his mother's side and approached the pile of dirt that was next to the grave. He took the shovel that had been place nearby and pressed its blade into the mound, then hefted a shovelful of the brown earth into the open grave. As Kim watched, she began to tremble, then cry, as the finality of what was happening began to overwhelm her.

She had sat stoically through the funeral service and the ride to the cemetery. At the graveside, even though she had never converted to Judaism, she joined in the recitation of the Kaddish, and listened intently as her granddaughter Ann, who had only recently completed her rabbinical training and was now serving at Middleton's synagogue, offered the traditional mourning prayers. And as the casket holding her husband's body was lowered into the ground, Kim remained composed. But this was too much for her. "Don't go, Ron," she said softly through her tears. "Please don't leave me."

Ann's heart broke as she saw just how lost, and old, her beloved Gramma Kim suddenly looked.

_Thanksgiving, November 22_

Little Cindy Smith was worried about her Gramma Kim. All her life the little girl had known her grandmother to be a lively, vivacious, and adventurous person. Today, however, her Gramma was silent and withdrawn. Cindy assumed it was because Grampa Ron had died. The girl had loved being around the old man; he'd always been lots of fun and was very silly. She wondered if she'd be as sad as her Gramma appeared to be if her best friend Ted were to move away. Tentatively, the child approached her grandmother, who was sitting in a chair and looking out a window, and took the old woman's hand. The one-time teen hero looked down at the girl and squeezed the small hand that clasped hers. Then she returned to looking out the window.

"I'm worried about her, Dad," Ann said as she watched grandmother and granddaughter.

"I am too," he said, his concern written on his face. "I can't imagine what she's going through; they were together their entire lives. I hope this is a normal part of grieving."

"Dad," she replied with a shake of the head, "I know I'm still new to this whole spiritual leader thing, and my perceptions may be colored because she's my grandmother, but this is way beyond normal. It's like someone's pulled the plug on her."

Jon sighed. "You know, in her all years of saving the world, Mom only wanted to give up once."

"The Diablo sitch," Ann said, referring to the incident that justifiably held a mythic place in family lore. Everybody knew the story of how Kim, defeated and forlorn, was ready to give up until Ron not only buoyed her spirits but began to confess his feelings for her, paving the way for her to save the world and for the two teens to begin a romance that had only ended with Ron's recent passing.

Jon nodded. "It's like Mom's back in that storeroom, tied up to that cactus. But this time, Dad's not here to give her a pep talk."

_Or something to live for_, Ann thought, as fear for her grandmother seized her.

_December 3_

Ann sat in her study at the synagogue. She was supposed to be preparing for an adult education class about Hanukah, but she was finding it impossible to concentrate. Her visit with her Gramma Kim earlier that day had left her disconcerted and disheartened. Kim had been uncommunicative and listless, her usually sparkling eyes dull and lifeless. To Ann, it was as if a stranger had taken up residence in her grandmother's body.

She had insisted that they go out to lunch, something her grandmother reluctantly agreed to do. But their conversation was desultory and perfunctory, unlike the animated conversations they usually had. Ann missed those talks; in recent years, Kim had developed an interest in religion and while the two women were of different faiths, their conversations were always stimulating and thought provoking. This time, it had been a challenge to get Kim to even discuss the weather.

Ann knew her grandmother was retreating into herself, her desire to do anything all but extinguished since Ron's death. She'd heard of this happening to people who had lost a spouse to whom they were particularly close. Watching it happen to someone she loved was heart-rending and frightening.

The young rabbi looked up from her commentaries and her notes and saw the reproduction of Monet's _Watermelons_ that hung on the wall; the original, a gift from her grandmother's nemesis at the time of her father's birth to her grandparents, now hung in the Middleton Museum of Art. She rose from her chair and approached the picture. She stood before it, studying the colors and brushstrokes, something she liked to do when she was trying to sort out a problem. It wasn't long before an idea began to take shape in her mind.

_December 5_

"Thanks for the ride, David," Ann said.

"Think nothing of it," the former Israeli Air Force pilot said. "It's the least I could do after you agreed to officiate at my sister's wedding at the last minute."

"No big," Ann said, unconsciously echoing her grandmother. "I still can't believe what happened to Rabbi Friedman." The freak accident involving his tallis, or prayer shawl, was still a hot topic on rabbinical chat boards. "I'm just glad he's okay now."

"That's good to hear," David said. "You should get ready; we're approaching the LZ."

"Thanks," Ann said as she rose from her seat and retrieved her parachute. She slipped on the straps, then checked the fittings on her harness. "Okay, I'm good to go."

"Good," David said. "So, look, I don't mean to keep being a nudge and I know you've got a lot on your mind these days, but how about it?"

"You're incorrigible," Ann said. David had been trying to get her to go on a date ever since the aforementioned wedding. While she'd been interested, she was feeling gun-shy. She'd recently broken up with her longtime boyfriend and didn't want to rush into anything lest she be hurt again. Still …

"Guilty," David said, interrupting her ruminations. "I'm persistent, too. But how often am I going to meet a beautiful rabbi who's into extreme sports?"

"You got me there," Ann said as she admitted to herself how much she enjoyed being with the scruffy, yet friendly and intelligent, man flying her to her destination. "Okay, how about dinner next week?"

"You're on," David said enthusiastically, "And you're good to go."

"Great," Ann said as she looked out the now-open door of the plane. "By the way, I like Thai!" she said as she jumped.

Ann, just like her grandmother, enjoyed the thrill of free-falling. The rush of the air against her face was enlivening and the speed with which she fell was exhilarating. She smiled at the memory of the first time the two women had gone skydiving more than a decade earlier. It had not been the last time the two had jumped out of a plane together.

Ann touched down in a manner that she knew would have made Kim proud. She gathered up her chute, packed it away, and quickly began walking towards her destination: an air vent. She pulled out a tool, removed the grille, and pulled herself up and into the shaft. Then she began crawling. Soon, she reached another grille, which she removed. She then dropped out of the shaft, startling a woman who'd been reading.

"Oh, great, yet another generation is saving the world," a white-haired but otherwise very well-preserved Shego said snidely as she looked up from her magazine and saw who was visiting. "Don't you people know how to use a door?"

"Uh, hello," Ann said with a roll of her eyes. "Everybody knows you enter a lair through an air vent."

"What makes you think this is a lair?" Shego said.

"Private island, sophisticated security system?" Ann asked.

"Hey, we like our privacy,' Shego replied.

"Uh huh, right," Ann said skeptically. "What about the surface to air missiles?"

"Look, Pumpkin Junior, it's a dangerous world out there," Shego snapped.

Just then a door slid open.

"Door that goes whoosh? Sounds pretty lairish to me," Ann said triumphantly.

A white-haired Phin Du, still the model of quiet sophistication, entered. Unflappable as ever, he didn't betray the least bit of surprise at finding a mission-suited, auburn-haired visitor who bore a striking resemblance to a young Kim Stoppable in his home.

"You know, other than the freckles and the blue eyes, you sure look like Kimmie. Talk like her, too," Shego observed. "You sure you aren't just some kind of clone?"

"So sure," Ann answered. "Eyes, freckles, remember? Not very clonish."

"You could be wearing contacts," Phin observed as he appraised the unexpected visitor. "And the freckles could also be part of your subterfuge."

Ann rolled her eyes. "I'm not a clone," she said, her exasperation evident.

"Fine, fine," Shego said. "So, if you're not a clone, who are you? And why'd you decide to make like Princess and play hero?"

Ann stared at Shego through narrowed eyes. "One, I'm Ann Stoppable, Kim and Ron's granddaughter. Second, I'm not a hero, I'm a rabbi. And third, Gramma didn't play hero. She was one and still is. Got it?"

"Got it," Shego said, a wry smile playing on her lips. "You know, you really do look like Princess when she was younger."

"Thanks," Ann said.

"I didn't say that was a compliment," Shego gibed.

Phin interrupted. "May I get you something to drink? Tea perhaps?"

"Please and thank you," Ann said.

"Oy, you really are a Possible," Shego said. "So, what brings you out here? We haven't boosted anything in ages."

Ann noticed the Euro Alliance dossier marked "Top Secret" that was sitting on the coffee table. "Riiiiggght." Ann said as she looked at the presumably purloined reading material. "Book of the Month Club?"

"Great," Shego said. "Just what I needed. A crime-fighting rabbi. Are you going to bust me first, then preach at me or—"

"I'm here because of Gramma," Ann interjected.

"Kimmie's not taking the buffoon's death well, is she?"

Ann's nostrils flared. "Grampa was not a—"

"Buffoon. I know, I know," Shego said, holding up her hands in a conciliatory gesture. "To be honest, your grandfather was okay. Pretty weird and really annoying some of the time, but okay. So, your grandmother: what's the deal?"

Phin returned with a silver tea service, which he set down before the two women. "I'll be in the study," he said as he removed the stolen document and turned to leave.

"She's in a bad way, Shego," Ann said. "It's like she's lost the will to live."

"Huh," the older woman said. "So what do you want from me?"

"I was hoping you could help me."

"Me? In case you haven't noticed, Kimmie and I aren't exactly pals."

"I know," Ann said as she took a sip of tea. "But you go way back with Gramma."

"So do a lot of other people," Shego said. "Nerdlinger for instance."

Ann shook her head. "Uncle Wade, Aunt Monique, Uncle Jim and Tim: all tried. She's just shutting them out. She's shutting us all out."

Shego slowly rose from her seat and walked to a window. She stood quietly and looked out across the broad lawn down to the star-lit sea. Finally, she turned and looked at her uninvited visitor, then began pacing. "Your grandmother was a pain in my biscuit. I can't even count how many plots she foiled, how many times I went to prison because of her. And I still haven't forgotten how she kicked me into that tower. But, as much as I hate to admit it, she was pretty good at what she did. And she did save my wedding …"

"So you'll help?" Ann asked.

"Yeah," Shego said. "When Kimmie kicks the bucket, she deserves to go out in style, not like some punk."

"Thanks," Ann said.

"So what do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking we could let her know you kidnapped me," Ann said, her enthusiasm for her plan evident. "Then she'd go into mission mode and come to rescue me."

"That's your plan?" Shego snorted. "Now I know you're a Stoppable."

"Was that a shot? Because if it was …" Ann said as her eyes rolled back in her head, she dropped her cup, and slumped over.

Phin returned to the room to see shattered china and tea on the floor by Ann's feet. "I see our guest enjoyed her Darjeeling."

"Yeah," Shego said as she smirked at the sprawled form of her visitor. "Talk about a rookie."

_December 5, two hours later …_

Ann woke to find herself shackled and gagged, suspended over a large steel gray hatch in a room that was empty save for a sleek console located near the door. She struggled against her restraints, but to no avail. She quickly realized she wasn't going to shake herself free and concentrated on relaxing her body; she knew the strain on her muscles would soon become painful. The longer she could delay that, the less she would suffer.

_If only I had a naked mole rat_, she thought wistfully as she found herself gaining a deeper appreciation of just how important Rufus and his descendants were to the success of her grandparents' missions. She then began to think of her own mission. _I can't believe I let Shego sucker me like that_, Ann chided herself. _What was I thinking?_

Ann wasn't given much time to ponder that question as the door slid open and her captors entered.

"Nice of you to hang around, Kid," Shego quipped.

"Mmmph! Mmmph!" Ann protested through her gag.

"Did you hear something?" Shego said to Phin.

"The Siberian snow tigers, perhaps?" he suggested.

Shego rubbed her chin. "Hmm. Could be. Maybe we should check on 'em," she said as she moved behind the console where she appeared to enter some commands. Moments later, the doors beneath Ann began to slide apart, making a whooshing sound that the long deceased Senor Senior, Sr. would have found most satisfying. That sound was soon eclipsed by the roaring of three large, prowling animals.

_This is not good_, Ann thought nervously as she looked down. _Okay, bad idea_, she told herself as one of the beasts bared its teeth at her while another swiped its paw.

"It would appear that Larry, Moe, and Curly are somewhat hungry," Phin observed. "When was their last feeding?"

"I don't know," Shego said. "I thought you took care of that."

"I believe it was your turn to feed them," Phin said.

"I don't think so, Sport," Shego replied. She appeared to consider the matter for a moment, then suggested, "We could feed them Princess Junior here."

"It has been awhile since they've had fresh meat," Phin mused.

Alarmed, Ann once again began struggling against her bonds, desperate to escape her apparently grisly fate. Her eyes grew wide as Shego pulled a lever and she began slowly lowering towards the hungry tigers. Abruptly, the downwards movement stopped. "Doy," Shego said as she slapped her forehead.

"What?" Phin asked.

"I can't believe I was going to waste this opportunity," Shego said.

"How so?" he asked. "Feeding an interloper to the cats would simultaneously resolve two problems."

"Thanks to the rabbi here, I can finally beat Kimmie …"

Shego grinned as she saw the horrified expression on her captive's face.

"… That's right, Kid. You're the bait that's going to draw Princess here. And once she shows up, I'm going to finally crush her …"

Ann began shaking her head vigorously, horrified that her plan to help her grandmother might instead lead to her destruction.

"… Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a call to make.

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_To Be Concluded In One Week …_

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KP, RS, et. al. © Disney 

Rabbi Ann Stoppable, David © the author


	2. Part Two

Thanks to Mr. Wizard, fatherfigure1, Ran Hakubi, spedclass, daywalkr82, Boris Yeltsin, Josh84, Danny-171984, Quathis, rollred2000, CajunBear73, Drakonis Aurous, Samurai Crunchbird, Texax Dad, Gray Cardinal, whitem, theotherdave, Joe Stoppinghem, Aero Tendo, spectre666, Molloy, AtomicFire, mr.the.ninja, RonHeartbreaker, and conan98002 for reviewing and to everyone for reading.

My thanks, too, to special guest reviewer, Molloy.

Leave a review, get a response.

KP © Disney

All original characters © the author

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**PART TWO**

_December 6_

Kim was sitting on the living room couch, staring blankly at the wall of photos of her and Ron that chronicled their lives together, when the picture phone rang. She had turned off the video function after he died; she'd turned off the audio, too, not having much interest in talking to anyone, until her children told her that they wanted her to know if they were calling in case of emergency. Reluctantly, she agreed to their request though she still screened all of her calls. After the tenth ring, she bit her lip, knowing she would hear Ron's voice emanate from the machine.

"Hola, you've reached the Stoppables," the recording said cheerfully. "We can't take your call right now, but leave us a message and we'll get back to you."

"Yo, Kimmie," a familiar voice from her past said. "You might want to turn on the picture to see who's hanging at my house. She's about your height, red hair, blue eyes, has the misfortune to look a lot like you did before you got old and dumpy, and is gonna be cat food –"

Kim bolted from her seat to turn on the monitor. "Shego," she growled when saw the caller was indeed her old nemesis.

"Wow, someone really hasn't aged well," Shego snarked before she stepped aside to give Kim a view of Ann dangling over the tiger pit. After a few moments, the old villain reappeared on screen. "You want her, you can come and get her. Alone."

"If you do anything to her, I swear I'll kill you," Kim said.

"Big talk, Princess," Shego said dismissively. "And remember: You and nobody else. Otherwise, Princess Junior here is going to dinner with the kitties," she warned as she ended the call.

_December 6, a few hours later …_

Kim piloted the Roth SL Coupe 12.0, affectionately known as the Sloth, just like its eleven predecessors, towards Shego's Caribbean island lair. Tim and Jim had given her the first version of the car back when she was in college and they needed to build a replacement for the recently destroyed Kimminator. As they considered how to proceed, they focused on their father's old beater. When the tweebs told him what they had in mind, James gladly let them modify his old car into something Kim and Ron could use when saving the world. Every few years since a new version of the Sloth would appear in Kim's garage. While the one she was currently driving was a few years old, it was still handsomely equipped with a variety of features, including flight and stealth capability.

She was especially glad for the latter since that would allow her to land outside of Shego's house, affording her the advantage of surprise – and sparing her from a jump. While Kim still enjoyed parachuting on occasion, it had been many years since she'd jumped from a plane under anything approaching mission conditions. She knew she couldn't risk injury, not with Ann's safety at stake. Landing outside Shego's door was a far more sensible, and safer, option.

Kim knew she wasn't in the best shape to fight Shego. She'd had trouble sleeping since before Ron's death, a problem that had only worsened since his passing. Nor had she had a proper exercise and workout regimen since his illness became serious and she had focused her time and attention on caring for, and being with, him. Still, she had her old Mark 3 battle suit, grappler dryer, and laser scalpel with her and she hoped those tools would give her an advantage in her upcoming confrontation with Shego.

Much to her annoyance, Kim found herself shifting in her seat as the battle suit pinched yet again. While she had worked to keep herself in shape over the years, she knew her body had changed since she'd first donned the suit back when she was in medical school. She smiled as she remembered Ron complimenting her on the first version of the form-fitting outfit during the fight in Japan with the Simian Samurai the summer after their junior year at Middleton High. But memories of that adventure quickly reminded her of how much she missed him and she desperately wished he was with her as she touched down on the broad lawn besides Shego's fortified mansion.

Kim sat quietly for a moment, recalling what it was like to hold Ron's large hands, roll her eyes at one of his weird observations, kiss his freckles. She bit her lip and fought back the urge to cry, knowing she'd never do any of those things with him again. As had happened many times since Ron's death, she was beginning to feel overwhelmed by her loss, of being adrift and without her anchor, when her memory wandered back more than half a century to a storeroom one hundred miles away from Middleton. She was lost then, too – at least until Ron helped her find her way. She knew that what he had said was as true this night as it had been the night of her junior prom: it was time for the pity fiesta to come to an end. Ann needed her and she wasn't going to fail her granddaughter.

Determined to successfully complete this mission, Kim wiped away her tears, checked her gear and got out of the car. Then, with her super suit in stealth mode, she made her way to the house. She ran across the lawn in a crouch heading towards some hibiscus bushes that would provide cover; even though she was cloaked, she wasn't going to be careless.

Once behind her screen, Kim pointed her old wrist Kimmunicator, something she'd not worn in many, many years, at the house and pressed a button on its side. She watched as a diagram of the structure scrolled across the small screen and allowed herself a small smile as a red circle began blinking on the schematic: the device had just identified a security control box. She made her way to the unit and quickly disabled the systems protecting Shego and Phin's home. Then she found her way to a vent, removed the grille, and climbed into the HVAC system.

The long-retired hero followed the network of conduits until she reached what appeared to be the only room large enough to house wild animals. She once again removed a grille, then dropped out of the duct and landed on the floor, silently cursing the soreness in her joints. She didn't have long to worry about the ravages of time on her body, however. Much to her horror, the shackles from which she'd seen her granddaughter suspended were empty and three tigers were sleeping contentedly. Horror was soon joined by anger as Kim saw Shego standing on the other side of the room.

Kim had thought her ability to feel anything but grief had died with Ron, but she learned she was wrong. A white-hot rage rose from within and quickly enveloped her. Consumed by fury, she charged at her long-time foe and tackled her to the ground.

"I see you made it, Princess," Shego groaned.

"I'm going to kill you," Kim said as she gripped the villain's neck.

"Why?" Shego croaked.

"Why?" Kim yelled. "You killed my granddaughter and you want to know why I'm going to kill you?"

"Who said I killed her?" Shego asked.

"You so don't want to be playing mind games with me Shego," Kim snarled.

"A little help," Shego rasped as she struggled to breath. "I think she's serious."

The door to the tiger pen chamber slid open. Kim wasn't surprised when Phin entered. She was at a complete loss for words, however, when Ann followed him in.

"Gramma, let her go, please and thank you," Ann said as she saw what was happening.

"Annie?" Kim asked before her eyes narrowed. "How do I know you're not a synthodrone or a clone?"

"It's me," the younger woman said to her still-concealed grandmother. "I'm okay. Really."

Kim looked at her granddaughter warily, her hold on Shego's neck still firm.

"If you want," Ann offered, seeing her grandmother was still not convinced, "you can do a scan and ask Uncle Wade or Uncle Jim to check the results."

Satisfied that she was talking with her granddaughter, Kim slowly released her grip on Shego, then turned off the stealth feature on her suit. Confused, she looked up at Ann. "Would you mind telling me what the sitch is?"

Ann took her grandmother's hands and helped the older woman to her feet. "Ever since Grampa Ron died," she said, still holding Kim's hands, "it's felt like you'd given up, like you were just ready to fade away. I've been afraid we were going to lose you, too."

Kim knew that what Ann was saying was true. When Ron had died, she'd felt a part of herself die, and she had found herself wishing the rest would, too, so she could be reunited with him. Now, she was able to see what she would be leaving behind were that to happen. "Oh, sweetie," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"I didn't know what to do," Ann explained, her voice trembling. "Nobody did. I was scared, Gramma. Then I had the idea that if you thought I was in danger, you'd be jolted into action and –"

"And realize I still had a reason to live," Kim interjected as she pulled Ann into a fierce hug.

"Yeah," Ann said as she returned the embrace.

The two women held one another in silence for a few minutes.

"You gotta give the kid her props, Princess," Shego finally said. "It was a pretty good idea."

Kim looked up at Shego in wonder. Then she looked back to her granddaughter. "I never knew you were such a good actress. You really looked scared during the call."

"Actually, that wasn't part of Princess Junior's plan," Shego noted.

"Excuse me?" Kim asked.

"Don't get me wrong. I liked the kid's idea," Shego admitted. "But I didn't think we'd be able to pull a fast one on you. Fortunately, we'd drugged her."

"What?" Kim exclaimed.

"Well, what would you do if the grandkid of your incredibly annoying foe just dropped in?" Shego asked.

"Out of an air vent, I might note," Phin added. "Her unannounced arrival was somewhat suspicious."

"You didn't expect her to just knock on the front door of a lair?" Kim asked.

"This is not a lair," Phin said. "It is a private residence that happens to enjoy robust security amenities."

"Siberian tigers?" an incredulous Kim responded. "Missiles? Doors that go whoosh? This is such the lair."

"Told you," Ann said smugly to her hosts.

"Whatever," Shego said with a roll of her eyes.

"How did they drug you?" Kim asked Ann, concern in her voice.

"She drank the tea," Phin said.

Kim couldn't hide her look of disappointment in her granddaughter. "How many times have your grandfather and I told you that you're not supposed to drink or eat anything in a villain's lair? You should know better."

"Beginner's mistake," Ann offered with a sheepish smile. "Anyway, getting back to the story, when I woke up, I thought I'd been betrayed," she explained. "To be honest, I was scared witless."

"A not unreasonable reaction," Phin said graciously, "considering where you found yourself."

"You actually did okay up there, Kid," Shego said. "Sorry we had to play you, but I thought if we were going to get Kimmie out here, everything had to look real."

Kim sighed. "Well, this has certainly been weird enough. I so don't know what to say."

"How about 'sayonara'?" Shego suggested as she hooked her thumb towards the door. "It's getting late, Princess, and you most definitely need your beauty sleep."

Kim arched an eyebrow and shook her head in bemusement. She then got up, as did Ann, and followed Phin and Shego out of the house and onto the lawn. Kim pressed a button on her Kimmunicator and the Sloth's cloak disengaged, revealing the car.

"Most impressive," Phin commented. "Thank you for an entertaining evening," he added as he extended a hand to Kim, then to Ann. "Now, if I may, I will take my leave," he said before he turned and walked back into the house.

Ann climbed into the passenger seat and Kim was about to follow suit on the driver's side when she turned and walked back to Shego.

"Why?" Kim asked her old adversary.

"The rabbi," she said.

"Annie?" Kim asked.

"You and Stoppable were lucky, Princess," Shego said, a tenderness in her voice Kim had never heard before. "You got to have a family."

"I don't understand," Kim said.

Shego fired up her glow power. "Comet power's good in a fight, but it messed some things up."

Kim immediately comprehended what Shego meant. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Shego said. "Just remember what you've got. I know you miss Stoppable. I never got the two of you, but I know I'll be a mess if Phin goes first, and as good as it's been, it's never been like what you and the sidekick had. But he's gone now and you're not. And neither's your family. Enjoy them while you can." Shego shook her head in amazement. "To have a grandkid who did what Princess Junior did …"

Shego was stunned when her old foe embraced her. "Thanks," Kim said.

"Think nothing of it," Shego said as she extricated herself from the hug. "Now get out of here."

Kim smiled, then headed back to the Sloth.

"Hey, Kimmie," Shego called after her.

Kim, who was about to climb into the driver's seat, turned back to Shego. "Yes?"

"That suit's really tight on you. Better watch your diet."

"You so don't want to go there," Kim replied with a laugh. "I could still kick your biscuit."

"Maybe we'll have to find out some time," Shego said.

"Yeah, maybe," Kim said. "Goodnight, Shego."

"Goodnight, Princess."

_First Night of Hanukah, December 16, late in the evening …_

"Oy, not you again," Shego groused as she saw Ann drop into her living room from an overhead duct.

"I see we have company," Phin observed.

"Hi Shego, Phin," Ann said cheerfully before she looked back up at the opening.

Shego was about to say something in response when, much to her surprise, a platter was passed out to her unexpected visitor. She watched as Ann stepped back and a tall man with dark curly hair dropped down to the floor.

"Oh great, now you've got a sidekick," Shego said.

"David's not my sidekick, he's my date," Ann explained happily.

"Pleased to meet you," David said as he shook hands with Shego and Phin before he turned back to Ann. "You know I'd love to be your sidekick."

Ann smiled warmly. "Maybe you can be my partner."

"Might I ask if there's a purpose to this visit other than the display of your romantic repartee?" Phin asked.

"I brought these," Ann said as Shego took the platter and removed the cover. "Potato latkes. Happy Hanukah!"

"Okay, Kid," Shego asked, her curiosity piqued. "What's the deal?"

"Gramma's been making these every year, ever since she and Grampa Ron began dating back in high school. I thought you might enjoy some. Consider it my way of saying thanks."

Shego looked at her old nemesis' granddaughter and snorted. "You're welcome. Well, as long as you're here, you may as well stay for dinner." She then turned to her husband. "You want to get a bottle of wine?"

"I don't think that will be necessary," Phin said as David presented him with a bottle of pinot grigio. "A fine choice."

"Don't trust us?" Shego cracked.

"Let's just say I'm not a cat person," Ann answered with a wry smile. "And I don't have time to hang around."

"I see you're learning," Shego said with a genuine smile. "C'mon, we can eat outside on the terrace."

As the two couples walked through the living room and towards the French doors that led outside, David looked around. "You know, this is the first time I've ever been in a lair."

"And if you stick around with her," Shego said, "it probably won't be your last. You tipped off the Eurofeds, didn't you, Princess Junior?"

"Busted," Ann admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "You shouldn't have left that report out in the open."

"It's not like we were expecting you to drop in," Shego observed sharply.

"That's so not the point," Ann said heatedly. "You shouldn't have had that report in the first place –"

"While this is a most fascinating discussion," Phin interjected, "perhaps this would be a good time for us to retire to dinner."

"Sounds good to me," David said as he recognized that Phin was trying to avert an argument. "I'm really hungry."

"You know, Shego" Ann said, picking up on the cues, "Gramma told me how you once had a Christmas truce. How about we revive that tradition?"

Shego grinned. "You're on. But all bets are off after New Year's. Phin and I aren't just going to sit around doing nothing."

"Fair enough," Ann replied with a grin of her own. "Just don't be surprised when David and I show up on your doorstep. And next time we'll be bringing Global Justice with us, not dinner."

_Christmas Eve, December 24_

It was late afternoon and light flurries were falling as Kim Stoppable stood before her husband's final resting place. She looked at his tombstone, then at the nearby trees, up above to the leaden sky, then back to the granite marker. She closed her eyes and sighed, knowing that as long as she lived this was as near as she could be to the man with whom she'd shared her life.

"I miss you, Ron. I miss you so much," she said. "You know, there are mornings when I wake up and wonder how I'm going to make it through the day without you. But then I think about the kids and grandkids, and that helps me. We really do have a great family. I mean, Annie: I still can't believe what she did." Kim shook her head in wonder as she recalled the events of earlier that month, then smiled as she reflected on a most welcome development since the incident at Shego and Phin's lair. "Annie's started seeing someone," she said. "You'd like David. Turns out you're not the only Jewish guy who fell in love with Snowman Hank when he was a kid. He can repeat all the dialog by heart, just like you. He even does the voices.

"They're coming over with the rest of the family to Pim's for dinner tomorrow. I'm going over this evening. Cindy was so excited that I was staying the night; I'm pretty sure she's hoping I'll run interference with her parents so she can stay up late. Maybe I will. I'm her grandmother after all and supposedly I can do anything, right?

Kim remembered how more than six decades earlier Ron had told her that her motto was 'braggy.' Perhaps it had been. But, she thought with a wry grin, she had saved the world more than once – and knew she was quite capable of indulging her youngest grandchild. Kim also knew she was capable of keeping a promise.

"I'm going on a cruise next month. Ten days in the Caribbean and they tell me it's lair-free." Mention of her upcoming trip elicited memories of a long-ago mission. "Remember that cruise we took back in high school when we were looking for Team Impossible? What was that, fifty-five, fifty-seven years ago?" she mused. "I'll try to play some shuffleboard for you; I still remember how tweaked you were that you didn't get to play that lady who owed you lunch." She chuckled, then added wistfully, "I don't know that I ever told you, but it meant so much to me that you emptied out your bank account to go on that mission with me."

Kim stood in silence, reminiscing about adventures past with Ron, until her thoughts brought her to that long-ago Christmas Eve when he'd gone after Drakken so she could be with her family. She fondly recalled the whole crazy night, the worldwide search, her brothers' excitement over wrestling an Anaconda, the bizarre Yuletide celebration in the escape pod – and the kiss on the cheek she'd given Ron beneath the mistletoe. It had been a wonderful holiday, one of so many they had shared. And now there would be no more.

"Well, it's getting late," she said as she found herself wiping away tears. "I should probably be going."

Instead of leaving, though, Kim knelt by her husband's grave and rested a hand on his tombstone, not caring that the falling snow was growing heavier nor that the afternoon light was fading fast. "I love you, Ron," she said softly. "Merry Christmas."

_The End._

* * *

_Seasons greetings to you and yours from Mr, Mrs and BabyDrP!_


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